The abundant life in Christ is based upon promises. All who are born again are born again because they have believed a promise.
We have a better covenant established on better promises (Heb. 8:6). It is by these promises that we become partakers of His nature (2 Pet. 1:3-4). All of the promises of God are “Yes and Amen” (2 Cor. 1:20).
We are the ones who activate the promises.
How? In Romans 10:9-10, we see that to activate the promise of salvation, we must first believe with the heart and confess with the mouth. “For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation,” (Rom. 10:9-10).
Salvation includes meeting the needs of the whole man—spirit, soul and body. Forgiveness, healing, provision, protection, blessing and wellbeing are all activated by believing from the heart God’s promise.
All of the benefits of the abundant life are released in the same way: through believing with the heart and confessing with the mouth. Though all of God’s blessings already exist for us (Eph. 1:3), they do not simply appear when a need arises. They must be received by faith.
God’s promises are the channel through which our faith can be released and the blessings can be received. As it is with salvation, so it is with all aspects of the Christian life. “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,” (Col. 2:6).
When we learn how faith is activated for salvation, we have learned how faith can be activated for every promise of God.
“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us,” (2 Cor. 1:20)